US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he aims to appoint loyal Kash Patel as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in a move that could mean replacing the current head of the main office.
Trump announced the former adviser and Pentagon official, who has criticized the office and is known for his controversial views on the government’s so-called “deep state,” as his choice for the position on his network, Truth Social.
The current FBI director, Christopher Wray, was appointed to a 10-year term in 2017, meaning he will either have to step down or be fired.
The FBI under Wray – who was appointed by Trump – investigated the incoming president, angering Trump.
“Cash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A fierce defender of the next president, Patel supports the hardline Republican idea of an anti-Trump “deep state” of allegedly biased government bureaucrats working to stifle Trump behind the scenes, even after he wrote a book on the subject.
Patel, the son of Indian immigrants, served in several high-level positions during Trump’s first term, including as national security adviser and acting chief of staff to the defense secretary.
“Cash has done a fantastic job during my first term,” Trump said, adding that the nominee would work to “end America’s growing crime epidemic, dismantle criminal immigrant gangs, and stop the evil scourge of cross-border human and drug trafficking.” “.
Separately, Trump nominated Florida Mayor Chad Chronister as director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which the president-elect incorrectly referred to as the Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the border, stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs across the southern border, and save lives,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Bondi, a staunch Trump ally and former Florida attorney general, is the president-elect’s choice to lead the Justice Department.
The FBI is the investigative arm of the Department of Justice, while the Drug Enforcement Administration also falls under its jurisdiction.
The appointments of Bondi and Patel, both close supporters, suggest that Trump is interested in corralling closely aligned appointees willing to implement his vision and policy leanings.